


Poster Duty

by Ange_de_la_Mort



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Mid-Canon, Misunderstandings, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:07:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ange_de_la_Mort/pseuds/Ange_de_la_Mort
Summary: While Sora, Donald and Goofy are out to save the world, Hayner, Pence and Olette have an adventure on a much smaller scale. And still, one with a few hardships along the way.The reward? Hopefully some nice Munny, but mostly some unplanned company.





	Poster Duty

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [KH Trio Zine](https://twitter.com/KH_TrioZine) a while ago. I've always liked the Twilight Town Trio and I'm happy I was able to write about one of their possible adventures during KH3.

As Sora, Donald and Goofy say their goodbyes and leave the town, Hayner stares after them thoughtfully and then puts his hands on his hips. "Well, there they go. Travelling worlds, fighting monsters, having the time of their life." He glances over his shoulder at Pence and Olette and then sighs softly, shaking his head. "You know, I'm almost jealous."

"Really?" Pence tilts his head in surprise, and although Olette doesn't say anything, she feels a similar kind of confusion.

Hayner had been there when the man in the black coat kidnapped Kairi. Hayner had seen what he had been capable of and how easily he had knocked all three of them out. And that was before the Heartless had arrived - who almost swallowed the city in that strange and scary tornado. Without Sora and the others, they would have been doomed. None of them would have had a chance - not even Hayner. He must know that!

But maybe that's just it... maybe he feels guilty because there was nothing he could have done to drive the Heartless away.

Somehow Olette understands him. After all, this is their home. And one would think that they'd be able to protect it. ...but in some situations even they have to realize only too well that they're nothing but teenagers, and not very strong ones at that. She looks at Hayner's back in silence, his taut, tense shoulders, and wonders if he might wish they were all grown up and had all the opportunities open to them instead of spending their days at school and studying.

For a moment Hayner is silent and continues to stare straight ahead, then he turns to the two of them again. "Just look at them! They saved us, they saved the whole town! They're heroes!" His voice has grown a little louder with every word, more and more excited, but just as quickly as the excitement has come, it's gone again, and instead he now sticks his hands in the pockets of his pants and kicks a pebble aside with more force than necessary. "Man, what wouldn't I give to be a hero and travel the worlds, too."

"Don't forget they're also trying to bring Roxas back," Olette gently reminds him.

"See? Heroes." Hayner raises his fist... and then lowers it and his shoulders. "I really wish there was something we could do to help..."

Pence and Olette exchange a sorrowful look, and Olette is about to start comforting Hayner when someone behind them clears their throat: "I heard you young lads want to help someone out? Then maybe I have the right job for you!"

Hayner's eyes glow with enthusiasm, and when Olette turns in the direction of the voice, she is only momentarily surprised to see a... duck in front of her. Wearing a top hat. As well as a frock coat and spats. On second thought, it's not even in the top three of the strangest things she has seen lately.

In the course of their conversation the duck turns out to be not only Donald's uncle, but also the owner of the restaurant  _ Le Grand Bistrot _ , which is supposed to open soon. And the help... well. "I need someone to assist in spreading the good news that the bistro will soon be celebrating its spectacular opening!" Mr McDuck knocks his cane on the floor. "So, what do you lads think of promoting the bistro for me? I got some posters printed already that will need to be put up at different spots in the city."

"That is... not exactly the kind of help I was thinking of," mumbles Hayner so quietly that it is hardly audible.

Olette hesitates briefly and then folds her hands behind her back. It would distract him. It would give them all something to do. Maybe it would be just the right thing, at least for now. "We'll do it," she says determinedly and decides to simply ignore the surprised sounds of the two boys.

"Splendid! I knew I could count on Sora's friends," he says with a twinkle in his eye that makes Hayner straighten his back and pat himself on the chest with his fist in a gesture of exaggerated reliability.

_ Clever _ , Olette thinks and smiles. And when McDuck offers them three thousand munny for their work, all three of them smile.

...but when they see the amount of posters, their high spirits aren't quite as high anymore.

"That's gonna take us all day," Pence exclaims with a sigh, tapping his fingers against one of the many piles. "Maybe three thousand wasn't as good a deal as we'd thought."

"Maybe the whole idea wasn't as good as we thought," Hayner adds and crosses his arms in front of his chest, looking around with a scowl.

So Olette once again sees it as her job to make sure that the two of them get their minds off things: "Quit whining and start working," she says and grabs a stack of posters. "The sooner we're done, the sooner we can buy some ice cream and relax. Or maybe we can even buy a ticket for the Mystery Train," she says to Hayner with a side glance. "You remember? The one that Sora, Donald and Goofy took?"

“...hey, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Olette smiles and shakes her head.

_

“Hey, Seifer, uh, do you think this is a good idea?” Rai asks at some point, while they’re sneaking after Hayner, Pence and Olette.

"Of course it is! It's mine, after all!" Seifer shoves his hands into the pockets of his coat and carefully peeks around the next corner, watching the three of them climbing onto roofs and putting up posters, groaning and struggling (Hayner climbs on Pence's shoulders while Olette hands him a bucket and some posters).

"Questionable."

"Oh, not you, too, Fuu!" He throws her a mean glance that doesn't impress her, and rolls his eyes. "Look, I won't let these punks get away with pretending they're important, OK? How dare the old duck ask  _ them _ to promote his stuff and not us? That's totally lame!" He crosses his arms in front of his chest and taps the floor with the tip of his boot. 

"Yeah, sure, we get that," Rai says carefully and scratches his cheek. "But they're friends with those three guys that kicked the Heartless out."

"So? You think that makes them better than us? No way! And now get going, we have some posters to take down!"

Fuu sighs quietly.

_

"That's the last one." Olette smiles and pats the dust off his pants. "We're done. Good job, guys!" It took hours and they all three are soaked with sweat, but it was worth it. Exactly one hundred posters have been put up in the city to announce the opening of the bistro. She looks at the other two with exhaustion but satisfaction and can see the same on their faces. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's get our reward!"

Unfortunately things don't always turn out the way they are supposed to because as they make their way back to the town square and as Hayner is already pondering what he wants to buy with the money (yes, the ticket for the Mystery Train is at the top of his list, but after all the hard work he also wants a trip to the beach, a new pair of swimming trunks and lots of ice-cream), Pence stops at some point and emits an uncertain, hesitant sound. "Uh, guys?" he starts and interrupts Hayner's enumeration. "Something's not right. I can't see any of the posters."

"What, since when do you need glasses?" Hayner laughs, but the laughter dies down his throat as he follows Pence's gaze to one of the buildings. They had... they had put up a poster here, right? ...right?

Slowly he turns his head in another direction, to another building, one he's  _ sure _ they stuck a poster with the logo of a little mouse and the name of the bistro to (even if he's not quite sure if mice and restaurants are such a good combination), and when all he sees is a bare, empty wall staring back at him, an icy shiver runs down his spine.

All that work... for nothing?

All that time... wasted?

All the posters... stolen?

"Do you think it was the Heartless?" Pence asks them both at some point when he realizes that Hayner can't bring himself to make a sound, that he's stuck being speechless even though he just wants to scream.

"Why would they steal posters of a thing instead of the real thing?" Olette replies and shakes her head slowly.

"I dunno. Maybe they don't know the difference?"

Now Hayner slowly finds his words again, and after cursing vigorously several times, he says thoughtfully, rubbing his chin with one hand. "Hmm. I'm not sure. Posters don't smell like real food. It would be easy to spot the difference." Then he hesitates and raises his brows. "Wait. Do the Heartless even have noses?

"I don't think the Heartless would be after food, guys. They steal hearts. I mean, they're called Heartless, not Foodless."

He sighs and shrugs. Well, Olette's probably got a point there. Unfortunately. Damn. "Yeah, guess you're right."

"Okay, if our thief is human, then they can be- hey, what are Seifer and his gang doing with McDuck over there?"

Hayner's gaze follows the direction in which Pence is pointing and - indeed: There are Seifer and his two friends talking to McDuck, who just glances up at them and tilts his head. Almost as if by magic Hayner's legs move faster than ever, even though he should be too tired to take one more step all day, and before he really knows it he is already sprinting towards them, trying to throw himself at Seifer, but someone - Rai - grabs him by the vest from behind and holds him tight until he is reduced to kicking and fidgeting in the air, until he has to be content with shouting at Seifer's grinning face, telling him what an idiot he is.

"See? That's what I meant!" Seifer points at Hayner and turns back to McDuck. "These guys are too busy being idiots to do a job right. Just  _ look _ at how easily all these posters fell off!"

" _ You _ tore them off, didn't you?" Hayner yells as Pence and Olette catch up with them (one a little more out of breath than the other), and then, still fidgeting in the air, he turns to McDuck: "We did our job! It's not fair that they're sabotaging us!"

"That's a harsh word", Rai says and finally lets him back on the ground. "We just checked if you did your work correctly. Spoiler: you didn't!"

"I'm so gonna punch you in the-"

"Now, now, boys," McDuck butts in for the first time and twists his beak in... something that might almost be called a smile? "We all know how we can fix this and make sure I get something out of it."

_

With a sigh Olette grabs the bucket firmer and walks beside Fuu. "Why do boys always think that beating each other up is some kind of sacred ritual?" She peers out of the corner of her eye at Fuu, but gets no answer. So she sighs again. "Hey, Fuu? Have you ever Struggled before?"

"Negative."

"That means 'no', right? Or does it mean you don't wanna talk to me?"

"Both."

"Ah. Okay. Okay. "

So they stay quiet for a while, putting the posters back up one by one. It takes longer now that it's just the two of them, and actually, Olette was almost hoping they could at least pass the time by having a few nice conversations. ...not that she hasn't tried. She has started to tell funny stories about Hayner, Pence and herself a few times, but Fuu has always rolled the one visible eye. So Olette gave up pretty quickly.

Eventually, they are climbing a roof together, she says: "I didn't know Rai could cook."

"Huh?"

"You know. Good enough for... what are they holding now? A baking competition?" She sighs softly and pouts. "I really hope they're leaving some cake for us."

“...Yes."

She shoulders the bucket again and makes her way to the next spot where another poster should be displayed. The silence between them is uncomfortable, unfamiliar. Hayner and Pence are always talking.

Fuu puts down the rolled-up posters and grabs the one she wants to put up next, makes a sound that almost sounds like disgust as a blob of glue drips onto her hand.

The sound is so unfamiliar, so  _ normal _ , that Olette breaks out in surprised laughter, for which she gets an angry look. "Sorry," she says quickly. "I didn't mean to... be rude."

"You weren't."

"...oh." She can't help but smile while she helps Fuu put the poster up.

They continue in silence for a few moments - it's almost a routine already; paintbrush in the glue, glue on the wall, poster on top of that, smooth it down - until Olette lets the brush sink with a soft sigh. Tomorrow she'll surely have sore muscles.

"Tired?"

“...Yeah. I'm doing that for the second time today, and it's really starting to be too much."

Fuu watches her, looks at her from top to bottom and then sighs. With her free hand, the one not holding a stack of posters, she grabs the bucket before Olette can react, and walks ahead.

"H-hey?!" She hurries to keep up. "Hey, uh, Fuu? That's... really nice of you, but you don't need to. Really."

"I'm trying to say sorry."

Olette stops and blinks in confusion, once, twice. That's more words than she's heard from Fuu in all the time they've spent together. "Oh," she says with a soft smile. "Oh. I mean ... thank you. But I also mean that you don't have to."

Fuu rolls her visible eye, but Olette can see that she has trouble keeping a grin off her face.

_

"Hey, Fuu," Olette says at some point after they're done. The bucket is empty, the posters are up, her arms hurt, she's tired. ...and if she doesn't get a piece of cake, she will kick Pence in the butt. "Does Seifer know that, you know, if he wants to hang out with us, he could just ask?"

"He's not good with words."

"Really? That's a surprise, and here I thought he likes to hear himself talk."

"He does. … he’s complicated," she says, putting her hands in the pockets of her pants, and Olette thinks she understands, but somehow she doesn't, and in the end she decides that some boys are just strange. Like Seifer. And Hayner. Somehow, she thinks, they're very similar.

And when they both reach the Sandlot, she's just more convinced in her assumption:

There are people standing around a long table where Pence and Rai are selling cakes. Probably the ones they baked themselves. Some of the customers are backing up with paper plates full of pastry while others are waiting in a more-or-less orderly line, already plucking change out of their wallets. It's a bit strange to see their opposing groups working together so well, but with a side glance to Fuu, Olette decides that, as annoying as some of it might have been, this entire day could be coming to a satisfying end.

A few seats down the table, she can even see Hayner and Seifer - lo and behold - sitting across from each other without being at each other's throat, covered in bruises peeking out from under their shirts.

"So," she asks and sits down with Hayner, who hasn't touched the piece of cake in front of him yet, and grabs it to take a big bite. "Who... oh wow, this is amazing... who won?"

"It was a  _ draw _ ," Hayner grumbles quietly while still trying to impale Seifer with his gaze.

"Don't you  _ lie _ here, you lamer! I totally owned your ass!"

"We had the same amount of points and the time ran out."

"But I was still owning your ass."

"You're such a giant-" He wants to say more, but Olette shoves the rest of the cake in his face, and everything that comes over his lips is incomprehensible mumbling.

Fuu laughs, but when Seifer also breaks out into a resounding laughter, she slaps him on the back of the head. "Be nice!"

The two boys exchange confused, shocked looks, and before either of them can say anything, Pence and Rai join them, a big box full of coins and bills in their hands. "Look at that, guys, look at how much we earned!"

"Congrats," says Fuu, and Olette tilts her head. "And who of  _ you _ won?"

Rai laughs, a loud, satisfied sound, and Pence rubs his neck. "We kinda got the same score," he admits. "But it was a lot of fun. and I even learned some new tricks."

"That's nice." And she really means it. She looks at Fuu and smiles, and after a few seconds the corners of Fuu's mouth twitch a little. "How about we count the money and decide what we do with it?"

"Ah, look at you lads, you look happy," says someone behind them, and when Olette turns around, McDuck is standing right there. "That's nice, I'm glad you had so much fun. And now I take my earnings and wish you a good day."

"Wait.  _ Your _ earnings?" asks Hayner, and Seifer yells at the same time, "We fought hard for that!"

"Yes, that's true. But after all, it was  _ my _ idea to have these contests, right? And you owe me for the second bucket of glue and the ingredients for the cooking contest.  _ And _ you made some new friends in each other."

"Don't tell me this is a 'The real treasure is the friends we made along the way' thing," Rai moans, shoulders slumping.

"What a smart boy." McDuck reaches for the box and holds it like it's his firstborn. "But I'm not a heartless duck, you worked hard and you all deserve to get something out of it." And even as he's saying that, he counts off a few (far too few) coins and hands them to each of them. "Thank you again for your hard work!"

At first they are speechless. All of them. Then Seifer starts cursing and throws the money on the table. "This is so not cool!"

Nobody wants to argue with him at first. But then Olette sighs and says, "You know... he kinda was right. It was fun, after all, wasn't it?"

A soft mumble. Weak sounds of agreement.

“...how about we go get some ice-cream? All six of us?"

"Why would I want that jerk with us?" Hayner mutters, but after a prolonged glance from Olette (and Pence... and Fuu) he sighs and only says: "Fine. Maybe it was fun. Maybe you're not  _ that _ bad. When you keep your mouth shut."

"Likewise," spits Seifer.

And as they both look at each other and finally break out into big smiles, Olette knows that in a few days they'll be laughing about this whole thing... all six of them together.


End file.
